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Modern Masters Artist Profile: Helen Frankenthaler

May 7, 2014 by Holly Westwood

American artist Helen Frankenthaler recalled her years in the New York art scene of the 1940s and 50s: “I was influenced by both Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning and eventually felt there were more possibilities for me out of the Pollock vocabulary.” Frankenthaler’s main influence from Pollock came from the fact that she felt she could build upon his style and thus depart from it.

Frankenthaler began her departure from Pollock by thinning her oil paint with turpentine and then pouring it directly on to the bare canvas. This technique allowed it to soak into the canvas and fuse with the surface. The technique did not allow Frankenthaler much control over the outcome of her paintings, leading her to call the areas where the colors met “well-ordered collisions.” This development of the soak-stain technique solidified her place in the New York art world, leading fellow artist Morris Louis to proclaim that Frankenthaler was, “the bridge between Pollock and what’s possible.”

Update: Some of the images referred to in this blog post have been removed following the close of Modern Masters at the Denver Art Museum. Please visit the Albright-Knox Art Gallery Collection search page to find the related artworks. This appeared on this post while the exhibition was open:

American artist Helen Frankenthaler recalled her years in the New York art scene of the 1940s and 50s: “I was influenced by both Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning and eventually felt there were more possibilitie

Holly Westwood is the interpretation of exhibits Intern in the education department at the Denver Art Museum. Holly has been at the DAM since 2013 and her favorite exhibition that has been on view here was Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective. After working on Modern Masters: 20th Century Icons from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Clyfford Still has become her new favorite artist.